What Mississippi’s HB 1379 Means for School Emergency Preparedness

School safety is an urgent priority across the U.S., and Mississippi is no exception. As districts face growing concerns around security threats and natural disasters, ensuring comprehensive emergency preparedness has become essential—not only for compliance but for the protection of students, faculty, and staff.

Mississippi has taken steps toward improving school safety through state-level support and proposed legislation like House Bill 1379, which seeks to enhance emergency response planning and increase coordination with public safety agencies. For facility managers and school administrators, this is the perfect time to assess whether your school buildings and systems are equipped to meet evolving safety expectations.

What Is House Bill 1379?

House Bill 1379, known as the Students Safe at School Act, was introduced in the Mississippi Legislature to improve emergency response coordination across K–12 campuses. While not yet passed into law, the bill proposed:

• Creation of a task force to study school safety needs statewide.

• A School Emergency Response Mapping Data Grant Program, designed to fund the development of digital, first-responder-ready floor plans of school facilities.

• Better alignment between school districts and local law enforcement during critical incidents.

Though still in legislative progress, the bill underscores Mississippi’s intent to modernize how schools prepare for emergencies and protect their campuses.

📄 You can read more about HB 1379 here.

State Guidance on School Safety

In addition to proposed laws, Mississippi schools can turn to the Office of Safe and Orderly Schools, a division of the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE). This office provides resources and compliance guidelines that support districts in:

• Crafting Emergency Operations Plans (EOPs)

• Conducting routine safety drills

• Establishing protocols for active shooter situations, severe weather, and lockdowns

• Training faculty on incident response procedures

Mississippi also encourages the integration of facility mapping, communication systems, and real-time access to safety data for first responders and school leaders. These strategies help standardize emergency protocols across districts—especially critical for rural or multi-campus districts.

The Role of Facility Teams in Emergency Preparedness

For school facility managers, emergency preparedness goes beyond fire drills and PA systems. It includes:

• Maintaining updated digital floor plans of each building

• Ensuring access to key infrastructure data, such as utility shutoff locations, fire alarm panels, and AED stations

• Organizing preventive maintenance on emergency lighting, exit signage, and doors

• Supporting school leadership during safety drills and compliance audits

These physical and operational components form the foundation of a school’s readiness strategy—and digital tools can make this work far more efficient.

How FacilityONE Can Help

FacilityONE supports K–12 school districts across the country with smart, scalable solutions for emergency preparedness and facility management:

• F1 MAPS: Create and access interactive, location-based floor plans with real-time asset and emergency data.

• F1 WORKS: Track inspections, safety drills, and preventive maintenance to stay audit-ready.

Our solutions align with the direction Mississippi is moving—toward smarter, safer, and more transparent emergency readiness.